Mail-sack-delivery apparatus.



' PATENTED JULY,14, 1908.

C. B. BRYANT. MAIL SACK-DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 10. 1908.

-sn m -BB?:yant A /2 @WM GHANSFORD B. BRYANT, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

MAIL-SACK-DELIVERY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed February 10, 1908. Serial No. 415,215.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHANsFORD B. BRY- ANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Sack- Delivery Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. U

My invention relates to devices for delivering mail sacks from moving trains, and has for its object to provide a device which is simple in construction, positive in operation, readily and cheaply installed, and which delivers the sack where it is readily accessible, without danger of its injury by the moving train.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a general view of my device, the releasing crane being shown in side elevation with portions in section; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view at right angles to that of Fig. 1, showing an end view of the crane and portions of the receiving device, and Fig. 3 is a section on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1, drawn to an enlarged scale.

1 is the mail-car provided with brackets 2, 2, in which is pivoted a crane 3 of the general form shown in Fig. 1. The crane is provided with a brace rod 4 for holding it in an extended position; but which may be unhooked from its inner attachment 5 to permit the crane to be folded and secured close against the side of the car, when not in use.

Sliding freely through depending lugs 6, 7 and 8 (shown in section) on the main arm of the crane is a sack-holding member or support 9, consisting of a rod rounded at its inner end as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and having a downwardly and then rearwardly recurved portion 10 at its outer end adapted to support the mail sack 11.

The support 9 is provided with a collar 12 and is surrounded by a coiled spring 13 between said collar and the lug 7; the spring being of suitable size and tension to hold the inner end of the recurved support 10 safely against the outer face of lug 7.

Pivoted to the frame of the crane, as at 14, is a cam member 15, having a downwardly projecting arm 16 and two camsurfaces 17, 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The inner rounded end of the support 9 normally rests in the space 18 between the camsurfaces 17 17.

The mail receiving device at each station comprises merely a tight fence 19, of suitable length, extending parallel to the track and of suitable height to support at each end a trip-pin as 20, 20, in the path of the cam arm 16, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A shorter cross fence 21 acts as a buffer for the discharged sack. If desired, this buffer may have a cut-out portion 22 for the passage of arm 16; though ordinarily this arm will remain in its raised position, after having struck the trip pin 20; because of the inward pressure of the support 9 on the cammember 15 beyond the cam surfaces 17, 17.

Preferably, the tight sack-protecting and buffer fences do not extend entirely to the ground but may have wire-netting or the like at the lower portion to prevent'the sack from passing beneath the car, as well as to obviate drifting snow. The dimensions of the protecting and buffer fences will necessarily vary; as will their position; but the longitudinal portions will be of suitable height to support the trip pins in the path of the cam-arm on the crane, while providing sufficient clearance beneath the crane, and at such distance from the track as to readily clear both car and crane-camarm, even allowing for the swaying of rapidly moving trains.

The operation of the device will be apparent from Fig. 1. The sack havingbeen suspended on the recurved end of the support 9 and the crane swung outwardly, the sack is held without any danger of accidental release, by means of the spring 13 until the contact of arm 16 with either of the pins 20 turns said arm and the cam 15, forcmg one or the other of the cam surfaces 17 behind the rounded inner end of 9 and forcing it outwardly a distance equal to the distance between the lugs 6 and 7. The sack is now completely released and falls to the platform; being prevented from injury by the amply long and high guard and buffer fences 19, 21. The sack is immediately available to the messenger without unlocking or opening closed receptacles.

The cam member being double-acting, the crane may be a plied, without modification, to either side 0 the mail car, and the release act equally well, whatever the direction of travel of-the train.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. A mail-sack release for postal cars, oomprising a double guard and buffer having tripping means, and a supporting crane having a sack releasing device comprising a cam having a depending arm adapted to contact with the tripping means to release the sack in either direction of travel of the car.

2. A mail-sack release for postal cars, comprising receiving guards and buffers elevated above the platform and supporting tripping means, and a supporting crane having a releasing cam operable by said tripping means in either direction of travel of the car.

3. A mail-sack releasing crane, comprising a sack support and a single cam carried by said crane for retracting said support and releasing the sack, in either direction of travel of the car.

4Q A mail-sack releasing device, comprising a swinging crane-arm, a longitudinallymovable sack-support, means for holding said support in closed position and a cam contacting with the inner end of the support for opening said support to release the sack.

5. A mail-sack releasing device, comprising a'swinging crane-arm, a longitudinallymovable sack-support, means for holding said support in closed position and a doubleacting cam for opening said support to release the sack.

6. A mail-sack releasing device for postal cars, comprising a pivoted crane-arm, a brace for holding said arm in. extended position, a spring-closed sack support longitudinally movable on said crane-arm, a doublefaced cam adjacent to one end of said sack support, and means for turning said cam to open the sack support, in either direction of travel of the car.

7. In amail bag delivering apparatus, a framework attached to the car, a sliding support for the mail bag attached to said framework, and means for operating said support including an arm adapted to extend into the path of a stationary projection and to be op erated thereby, said arm being so constructed as to be operable from either side of said framework.

8. In a mail delivering apparatus, a framework attached to the car, a sliding support for the mail bag attached to said franienm'k, and means for positively operating said support including a swinging arm, with (()111l(( tions between it and the support, said arm being capable of movement in either direc tion around its pivot point to release the catch.

9. In a mail bag delivering apparatus, a framework attached to the ear, and a sliding support for the mail bag carried by said framework, and means for operating said support from either side of said framework and in either direction in which the car may be moving.

10. In a mail bag delivering apparatus, a framework attached to the car, and a sliding support for the mail bag carried by said framework, and means operable from either side of said framework, whereby said support may be operated in either direction in which the car may be moving.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHANSFORD B. BRYANT.

Witnesses:

CHAs. W. OBRIEN, WM. W. BARCUS. 

